William P. Meehan, III, MD

After a sports concussion physical and mental (e.g. cognitive) rest are keys to recovery, says Dr. William P. Meehan, which means no video games, homework, or other activities that tax the brain and force it to work extra hard.

When it is safe for a youth or high school athlete to return to play contact or collision sports after symptoms of concussion clear depends on many factors, says Dr. William Meehan, including the athlete's age, baseline test data, time symptoms take to clear and severity, and concussion history.

Dr. William P. Meehan, III, Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital. discusses return to play after a sports-related concussion, including successful completion of a graduated exercise protocol, consideration of all clinical factors, including the results of computerized neurocognitive tests, the age of the athlete, and the level of play.

William P. Meehan, III, MD, Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic at
Boston Children's Hospital, recommends both baseline balance and computerized neurocognitive testing for athletes playing sports with high concussion risk, but two 2012 studies suggest that comparing a concussed athlete's scores on post-concussion neurocognitive tests to those of athletes of the same age and gender is sufficient for purposes of concussion management and return-to-play decision-making.

The response to a head or neck injury in sports depends on the severity at the moment. More serious injuries should be ruled out before assessing an athlete for concussion, says Dr. William P. Meehan, III, MD, Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital.

William P. Meehan, III, M.D., Director of the Sports
Concussion Clinic
and the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in the Division of
Sports Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, discusses the four
criteria that should be met before an athlete is allowed to return to
play after a concussion.

William P. Meehan, III, M.D., Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic
and the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in the Division of
Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, discusses the many
factors an athlete and his or her family should consider in deciding
whether to retire from contact or collision sports after multiple
concussions.

William P. Meehan, III, M.D., Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic
and the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in the Division of
Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, explains how today's
cheerleaders have a higher risk of concussions during practice, which is
unusual, and recommends that athletes engaged in competitive cheer
undergo baseline neurocognitive testing every year.

William P. Meehan, III, M.D., Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic
and the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in the Division of
Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, discusses three ways for
an athlete to reduce the risk of concussion: cervical neck
strengthening, playing with their head up, and being in good, general
physical condition.

When athletes see a hit coming, they instinctively flex their neck muscles. Since it is the acceleration of the brain after a force is applied or transmitted to the head that results in concussion, reducing the acceleration of the head after impact can reduce the risk of sustaining a sport-related concussion. One way to do that is by strengthening the neck muscles.